Show review: JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound at Metro, 2/5

Posted by Andrew

(Photo Credit: IshootRockstars)

Possibly my greatest defect as a music blogger (and human being in general) is my lack of knowledge in the realms of funk and soul. But hey, being born in a Rabbit year myself, maybe the new year signals a new me. So I guess that’s how I found myself at the Metro’s Winter Soulstice last Saturday to witness Chicago’s JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound.

To be sure, I can't tell you the difference between James Brown and Otis Redding, two cats that Mr. Brooks has been compared to. So it really was the performance itself that was a testament to his musical talents. And despite throwing the Uptown Sound into the official band name, it was really all eyes on JC in his black and red leisure suit. His frantic yelps and grunts drove the upbeat tunes before finding his inner falsetto and releasing it during the slower jams.

This isn’t to say the band doesn’t deserve credit. The playing was tight with a hint of exploration in their generally conventional style of playing. But in proper backing band accordance, each of the Sound staked out their own piece of stage and would stay close to home. The musical solos allowed the musicians to show they were more than just a backing band, but overall it was JC’s job to keep the crowd entertained, with call and responses, regaling personal experiences and giving a shout out to the bigger girls of the world. And not one to disappoint, JC made sure we heard their version of Wilco’s ‘I Am Trying to Break Your Heart' which I'm pretty sure I've listened to more than the original.

The show was well worth cramming into the Metro at the sold out show for and those that have tickets to the sold out Dismemberment Plan show Saturday February 19th have more of a reason to show up early, as JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound open for them, along with local indie-poppers Kid, You’ll Move Mountains. If you can’t make that one, get down with the Sound March 18th at the Double Door with the Soul Summit DJs. If you’re more into the visual aids, check out the performance of ‘I Can See Everything’ from this show.